Lady with Fan, 1917 Gustav Klimt

the first night
i wore gold drapery with a red fan;
birds of paradise flew over chandeliers
and flowers sprung out of odd places
like wallpaper and bedspreads
but my passion proved too singular
for such bluebeard extravagance

Garden, 1881 Edouard Manet

say something happy
it's been such a brutal day
let's meet up in the garden
for pink cookies with lemonade
and put the damn newspaper away

Ecce Homo, 1871 Antonio Ciseri

i stand alone
with nothing to give
but my life for yours

Absinthe, 1876 Edgar Degas

we stopped
for some patrick's day dancing and fun
but you only smoked while i drank myself green
'till the wee fairies bled from my nose

Road at Eragny, Winter, 1885 Camille Pissarro

breath billows from your russian hat
your arms speak loudly and free
snowflakes cloud the sunrise
i cling to my frozen beret

The Marriage at Cana, c.1500 Gerard David

we went only for the food:
breadcake, almond, lamb and wine
because one marriage serving
for any of us was enough

Elizabeth with Hens under an Apple Tree, 1909 Paula Modersohn-Becker

chickens chased me under leaf
beneath the white of fallen sky
we pecked at root and apple seed
while hills covered us in green

Untitled Painting (Green, Red on Orange), 1951 Mark Rothko

here's my heart
brushed and blow-dried
but still a little dull;
needs your shine

The Painter, 1938 Maud Sumner

if you had known how it would end
would you still have said yes
or did you just not want to hear it
out loud even in your own ears

La Rousse au Caraco Blanc, 1889 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

i tried not to

but how could i turn away

when you looked at me

and touched her instead